by John Davies, Sir (1569 - 1626)
The Courtier
Language: English
Long have I lived in Court yet learned not all this while To sell poor suitors smoke nor where to hate, to smile, Superiors to adore inferiors to despise. To fly from such as fall, to follow such as rise, To cloak a poor desire under rich array. Nor to aspire by vice though 'twere the quicker way.
Text Authorship:
- by John Davies, Sir (1569 - 1626), "The Courtier" [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Thea Musgrave (b. 1928), "The Courtier", 1956, first performed 1962 [baritone, clarinet, and piano], from Four Portraits, no. 4. [text not verified]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2009-01-15
Line count: 6
Word count: 58